Keira Knightley, the face of Coco Mademoiselle starrs in this 2011 commercial, as a beige-clad motorcyclist with sadistic tendencies. She drives to a photo shoot, seduces the photographer, lets him sniff her feet fresh out of leather boots, only to disappear without good reason at the end and leaving him totally puzzled as to what went wrong. Not without reapplying her Coco Mademoiselle of course.
Can you tell I’m not totally on board with the story of this movie? But that aside, Coco Mademoiselle and I have history. Almost inexplicable for me now, I used to wear this perfume for years. Now one whiff is enough to send me running and I get a major headache when I’m exposed for longer. I guess we just grew apart. I wouldn’t want the boyfriend that came with it anymore, either.
Doubtlessly Coco Mademoiselle has been a huge hit for Chanel.
What do you think about the commercial and the scent?
Olfactoria's Travels 
It looks like payback to me.
He doesn’t seem outraged at the end, surprised yes but kind of smilingly. Know what I mean?
Portia xx
Maybe I’m a bit dense here, but payback for what? What did he ever do to her?
HAH! As if you are dense about anything Birgit. I don’t know the back story but that’s how the ad reads to me. Just my own interpretation.
XX
I think she is just relishing in her own power, and unabashedly so.
Perhaps not a personal payback, but a statement for women to empower themselves, be strong and confident in their feminity!!!!!
That she sure is. But power for power’s sake, that is what irks me a bit…
Ok, Ok as an American male it reads like they have a long history – I mean history and not
just bad and rather cat and mouse – if you ask me! Frankly, Birgit – I found it entertaining, very well crafted, and not so much in what is said but what was not said kind of way. Thanks for another great read and video.
Thanks for your male perspective, Charles. I guess my own history with the perfume (and the man associated with it) does not influence me to view this commercial very favorably. 😉
Hi Birgit, Hope all is well with you and yours. Your amusing comments made me take time out of my hectic day to watch this; me chuckling through my viewing, and now I must share my thoughts.
To all readers: please keep in mind that I am an older lady and my perspective and understanding is most likely *very* different than those of the younger generations, so be kind. Having offered this disclaimer:
Keira looks gorgeous and divine. I love her as a brunette. The production quality is excellent. I adore the song, though I remember it from my childhood as being done by the “Godfather of Soul”, the incomparable (late) James Brown. I encourage everyone to hear his rendition. It will stir and move you to your very depths.
My first question: Why would she waste her time with him? There’s no depth there. Also, they are both WAY too androgyenous (sp?) for me to “feel” the promoting of actual hetrosexual passion there. Why not use two men instead and get the real point expressed? Now, there would be some real passion–two beautiful men with beautiful bodies: eye candy for all genders! Of course, maybe men do not wear Coco Mademoiselle??? hence a marketing problem.
Why not show her doing something really powerful besides being a model…and no offense to models, BTW. Here’s an idea: I’d like to see her a World Leaders’ Conference negotiating with the (mostly) male leaders of the planet, and *then* going to see her love puppet. Now, there’s REAL power. And it could be done very elegantly as well.
It seems that there is always a gap in how women’s “power” is marketed and the reality of our actual power.
The model/actress thing seems to be played out. Have we not progressed at all, marketing-wise?
OTOH, I must consider the market it was produced for…younger women, fresh to the world, just tasting many different experiences…still, I want something better for them–stronger, perhaps. More depth.
I also wore CocoMa for a few years and like you, Birgit, and now give it a wide berth.
Thanks for your interpretation, Honey. Her demonstration of power is indeed a bit questionable.
Dear Birgit, I agree once more……First, I preferred much more the first campaign for Coco Mademoiselle rue de Castiglione and Place Vendôme after Kiera came out from a party in a museum, Palais de Tokyo, I think, second, I never could stand this smell, a headache is coming since the first minutes or even the first seconds………….The Chanel bottle is nice, I like very much Kiera, her “boyfriend” here is not for me (I prefer Clive Owen as King Arthur and her as Guenièvre in the movie, well well well………) chemistry, strong in a bad way, I can’t.
Good to hear you and I agree again. 🙂 The Chanel bottle is truly beautiful, I wish Coco Mademoiselle was a little, okay a lot, less insistent, I’d love to display the bottle (Shallow, I know!)
I think he is sweet and deserves better than her. I think I agree that with Honey, above, that there are other and better ways to depict women exercising power.
Chanel’s power perfume remains No 19. This ad is much more more fun:
I couldn’t agree more, both with taking pity on him and No19 being the true power broker in Chanel’s stable.
I once owned a bottle of this as well, I throwed it away on the pretext that the bottle had a crack…
This commercial irks me, I completely agree with Honey above. Also, as AnneMarie says, this is not a power perfume, more “happy party-girl on the prowl” I think.
To quote Tania Sanches (about another perfume) “How can you ruin a man properly while wearing this?” 🙂
“The bottle has a crack” – I must remember this! It might come in handy one day. 😉
Love that quote!
The commercial is too long, pretentious and misses the point. I agree with Eva S. that CM is more “happy party girl”. This motorcycle seems odd here.
I don’t care for the fragrance, but I tried to force myself into wearing and liking it (HOW DUMB!) in my pre-perfumista days. Never liked it on myself though. Headache inducing, but I think it is ok for some people to wear it in MODERATION.
You don’t seem to be a big fan either… 😉
I agree with you, the commercial does not speak to me at all.
I have my doubts about KN since I saw her in theatre in London. Most of her energy went for lip pouting…
Hahaha! Must have been exhausting for the poor girl, all that pouting takes its toll. 😉